Indigenous woman dies weeks after giving birth and being evicted from public housing: ‘She was failed completely’

Mary Ann Miller died in hospital on 28 March after being evicted from public housing in February. View image in fullscreen Mary Ann Miller died in hospital on 28 March after being evicted from public housing in February. Indigenous woman dies weeks after giving birth and being evicted from public housing: ‘She was failed completely’ Noongar woman Mary Ann Miller died of sepsis while homeless to avoid an allegedly abusive ex-partner Warning: This article contains images of and references to Indigenous Australians who have died Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The family of an Aboriginal mother of seven who died just weeks after giving birth say the Western Australian Government knew she was experiencing domestic violence and fearing for her safety weeks before her death. Mary Ann Miller died of sepsis in Fiona Stanley Hospital on 28 March, two weeks after giving birth to her son and after she was allegedly assaulted and had her nose broken by her former partner. Guardian Australia is not suggesting the alleged assault contributed to her death. The case, first reported by the National Indigenous Times, has raised questions about the support provided to women and families experiencing domestic violence within the WA housing system. Mary Ann’s mother, Kaye Miller, told Guardian Australia she believes her only daughter was failed by government agencies that should have provided her with more support. The Noongar woman was evicted from public housing in February. In a statement, a spokesperson from the Department of Housing and Works said her tenancy agreement was “terminated via a Magistrates Court order, which found the tenant had not responded to requests to provide DHW staff access to conduct required annual property inspections”. Miller had been living at the house in Merriwa since 2021. In September last year she applied for a priority transfer to the Fremantle region. That transfer was approved and still pending; the spokesperson said all applicants on the priority waiting list have “demonstrated an urgent need for housing” and those who disclose family violence concerns “are provided advice on assistance and supported with referrals to services”. “In consideration of her circumstances, DHW retained the tenant’s application on the priority waitlist after her eviction,” the spokesperson said. “The decision to apply for a court-order termination does not occur often and is taken as an action of last resort.” Kaye Miller said government agencies were aware of allegations that her daughter had been assaulted by her partner, including hitting her with a metal pole when she was pregnant, and also that they were aware the alleged abuse had caused her to feel “unsafe in her home”, leading to her moving repeatedly. “He was beating her all the time, and the kids – they watched her be beaten all the time,” Kaye Miller said. She added that her daughter and her extended support network were receiving support from the Department of Communities and the housing department prior to her death. The Department of Communities declined to comment on the record in response to questions about the specific support provided to Miller, concerns about her or the children’s safety, or if it had launched a review into the circumstances of Miller’s death. Mary Ann Miller ‘loved her children with all her heart’, her mother says. Kaye Miller said her daughter was a loving mother who tried her best to protect her children and was well known and loved by the local Aboriginal community. “She was a mother and she cared for her children,” she said. “Everybody she knew, she left a mark on their heart, because she had a bond with every Aboriginal person she met, young or old. “She loved her children with all her heart. She dragged them around because she wouldn’t leave them anywhere because she was afraid somebody was going to abuse them. She died trying to look after [the baby]. She died and no matter what they wouldn’t help her. “She was failed completely. I want to scream and shout but it could have been prevented. They wouldn’t help her. They knew if they’d give her support that would have lifted her up. “Mary did not have to die. I just want justice for my daughter.” In a statement to Guardian Australia, WA police said they were unable to establish any criminality in relation to Miller’s death and a report was being prepared for the coroner. Dr Hannah McGlade, a member of the UN’s Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and a women’s safety advocate who has informed state policy relating to intimate partner homicide and violence, said there were warning signs in Miller’s file that pointed to a potential escalation of risk. “She had a urgent need for stable housing and wraparound family violence support,” McGlade said. “They had a duty of care to her.” McGlade said there was a need for safe houses and women’s shelters appropriate for women with large families, and there was research showing women were at higher risk of violence during pregnancy and postpartum. “That’s the research and the evidence,” she said. “But government agencies, including the health department, responding by evictions, through early discharge, through lack of effective case management is not good enough.” Explore more on these topics Indigenous Australians Western Australia Housing news Share Reuse this content